Am I crazy to concider droping out of college?

Rorkimaru

Ever since I was a kid I've had a big interest in acting. My parents used to humor me and let me take acting classes when I was young and I was in a couple of plays. That changed when they realized that I was starting to consider it as a real career choice.

I kind of buried acting down within myself as I followed a more "practical" career path through school. By leaving cert I was doing all science subjects alongside the core ones and I went straight into Science in Trinity College.

In second year I started doing a little work in acting again just to scratch the itch but all that ended up happening was that I wanted to do more and more until it got to the point when It started interfering with my attendance so I had to cut back. I've always gotten positive feedback on my work and I usually get offered the part for auditions I go to so I've started considering doing the two year full time acting course in the Gaiety School of Acting. My cousin does the course and having seen how great the course has been for him I admit my eyes have gone green.

I'm now in third year Environmental Science in TCD and I'm not loving the course. I'm capable of the work but I get no pleasure from it. I'm torn between giving the course an extra year and coming out with a practical, transferable degree (the sensible option) and just dropping out now and attempting to get into the Gaiety course (what I really want to do).

I'm going to be 22 this summer so, should I finish both courses I'll be graduating acting college at 25. If I drop out now I'd graduate at 24. That one year makes quite a bit of difference in the acting world. I've already decided that if I fail my exams (something I'm not expecting) I won't go back and redo the year but am I insane to consider not sitting them at all?

mags16

Finish your degree. If you still are keen, do the GSA course. I've been in the business for 15 years. One year is not going to make a difference.

I finished my degree, then worked in the science field for a couple of years. Because I was slightly more mature, I could cope better with the stresses of the theatre business than many younger actors.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Rorkimaru

mags16 wrote: »

Finish your degree. If you still are keen, do the GSA course. I've been in the business for 15 years. One year is not going to make a difference.

I finished my degree, then worked in the science field for a couple of years. Because I was slightly more mature, I could cope better with the stresses of the theatre business than many younger actors.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Thank you for the help. For now at least, I'll continue to work towards my degree. I have no real attachment to the course but I've given it three years, I guess one more is worth the return

Spore

Rorkimaru wrote: »

I'm going to be 22 this summer so, should I finish both courses I'll be graduating acting college at 25. If I drop out now I'd graduate at 24. That one year makes quite a bit of difference in the acting world.

You are joking, right? One year doesn't make any difference whatsoever! It's all about what age you can act, most actors give a range of TEN years on their CV's! And age never really comes into an audition unless you're way off the mark. Look at les liaisons dangereuses at the Gate, Nick Dunning shouldn't have even had a look in for the role of Valmont, but hey he's a great actor so why not play down twenty years?

If anything that extra year might mean the whole world in terms of maturation and life experience. Acting comes from within, not what you are on the outside - a cliché, but true.

Spore

Oh, and I think you'd be insane to junk your course at this stage. Most actors are in dire straits in the industry at the mo, working whatever miserable part-time jobs, if any, they can get. The industry isn't waiting with baited breath for another Gielgud - sorry to break it to you. It's ruthless out there, you will have to work for a pittance (if your lucky) you will be taken advantage of. There's already a glut of talented graduates of the Gaiety School / Abbey etc. that aren't getting work as it is.

Trust me, after six months you'll regret not taking that degree. At least it's a Plan B to fall back on when you wake up to the harsh reality of being an actor in this country.

Winty

Keep going you are so close to the finish line you would be a fool to quit

mags16

Spore wrote: »

Oh, and I think you'd be insane to junk your course at this stage. Most actors are in dire straits in the industry at the mo, working whatever miserable part-time jobs, if any, they can get. The industry isn't waiting with baited breath for another Gielgud - sorry to break it to you. It's ruthless out there, you will have to work for a pittance (if your lucky) you will be taken advantage of. There's already a glut of talented graduates of the Gaiety School / Abbey etc. that aren't getting work as it is.

Trust me, after six months you'll regret not taking that degree. At least it's a Plan B to fall back on when you wake up to the harsh reality of being an actor in this country.

Harsh but true.

You may get all of the auditions you go for at the moment but that all changes when you go professional. I've seen many a well known actor queuing in the dole office. You will be poor, you may never own your own house, you will get rejected constantly, your friends will be going on nice holidays, you will not. But if you have talent, patience, a thick skin and another way of supporting yourself, you will have a great time, meet some fantastic people and occasionally do some work that you are really proud of.

But finish college first.